Home of the Free Land of the Magical?
by nymoon94
Summary: So what really happens after the end of Deathly Hallows? Harry greets his two best friends off of the train and prepares to take the trip of a lifetime. This is my first story so please don't be too harsh with comments but tell me if I should continue.
1. A New Beginning

"Hey Harry! Long time no see."

"Hey Ron, how was the ride?" questioned Harry as he greeted his friend coming off the train at  
King Station in London.

"Horrible, Hermione wouldn't shut up the whole ride here and I was trying to sleep," Ron complained.

"Oh please, Ronald was the unbearable one. His snoring is utterly ridiculous. I don't know how you ever dealt with sleeping in the same room as him for all those years at school. It must've been absolutely dreadful. How are you? We've missed you so much," Hermione said as she stepped off the train.

Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry's two best friends in the whole world were going on the trip of a lifetime with him. Ron was a very tall redhead who grew up in a small magical house with a pureblood family. He and his family were not like most pureblood wizards though. The Weasley's couldn't care less about how much of your blood was magical. Ron grew up with his mother, Molly, his father, Arthur, his five brother's Charlie, Bill, Percy, and the twins George and the late Fred, and his sister, Ginny, also known as Harry's ex-girlfriend. Hermione was a smart girl with bushy brown hair and newly normal-sized teeth thanks to a helpful nurse after being cursed by Draco Malfoy. She grew up in a muggle town, like Harry, and with parents who knew nothing of magic or wizards until she received her acceptance letter to Hogwarts, like Harry's mother, Lilly.

"Ear plugs, Hermione. I'm great. You know, you two argue like you've been married for seventy years," Harry laughed as Ron proceeded to wrap his arms around Hermione and pull her into a deep, loving kiss. Harry had to look away for his heart ached with thoughts of Ginny. He remembered exactly how it felt to be with her, touch her, and kiss. He also remembered exactly how it ended, or rather how she ended it, but he couldn't think of such painful things when he was supposed to be happy. He then put on a smile but his friends knew him far too well and caught him in his mascaradial lie.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, Ron and her both with concerned visages.

"It's my sister, isn't it?" Ron questioned. All Harry could do was simply nod. He dared not think about her so he promptly directed the subject away from himself.

"Are you guys ready for the trip?"

"Hell yeah!" Ron's eyes lit up with what could only be pure testosterone and adrenaline as he yelled and everyone on the train station looked at the three people who were strange in more ways than they could even imagine. Hermione just put her head in her hands and tried to look nonchalant.

"Not only are you guys embarrassing me, but you are starting to make us look conspicuous. Let's go back to Harry's now. The boys laughed as the three headed toward the car.

~*~

"The car ride to Harry's temporary apartment in Surry was fairly uneventful. There was, of course, the minor bickering that was somehow loving between the Ron and Hermione. It was easy enough for Harry to tune out; he'd been doing it for years at school. He still remembered his first wizard, Mrs. Weasley, who taught him to walk through his first wall. Meeting Ron was great. It had been nice to finally have a friend to talk to and to tell him about the wizarding world. Meeting Neville had been interesting; he had grown much more confidence over the years, thank goodness. Seeing his first spell and getting his glasses repaired thanks to the finer sex of his duo of best mates. She was always so gifted and Ron was always so jealous. He remembered meeting Draco Malfoy and his side-goons, Crabb and Goyle, for the first time as Draco tried to make friends with him and Harry promptly rejected his offer. He also remembered meeting her, Ginny Weasley, she was excited and visibly nervous to meet the great Harry Potter, the boy who lived. She seemed to like him and he wondered why it took him so long to feel the same way about her. Maybe if he had seen it sooner, he would've had more time with her before it ended, then again maybe she would've ended it sooner. Harry was known as one of the greatest wizards of all time when in reality it was not him who was responsible for the prolonging of his life. It was his mother and the fact that she loved him so much, enough to sacrifice herself for him. He thought he understood the power that love had held, how strong it could be. But his recent unluckiness in love had him questioning that strength.

When they got back to Harry's apartment, Harry slept on the couch and Ron and Hermione slept in his room. He could only hope that sleeping was all they were doing in there. Unfortunately, there was no time to socialize; tomorrow was going to be a busy day.


	2. Good Morning?

He was there again; in the same place where he had first asked her out. He came there for inspiration and to try to fin the courage to ask her to marry him. Ginny is a fiery woman with more spunk than most men could handle, but then again, harry wasn't most men. He knew that if he asked her it would have to be special or she would never accept it even though he knew that she loved him. This would have to be big.

Strolling down the walk, he hummed his favorite tune thinking of all the time they'd shared together. They'd been dating for nearly three years now and next Tuesday was their anniversary. Ginny was so excited and Harry had the perfect ring. It was identical to that of his mother's. Ginny Weasly (soon to be Ginny Potter) was going to love it. Harry was picturing the look on her face when he saw a couple on a park bench kissing and showing affection. He looked away politely and had nearly passed them when he did a double take.

"Ginny?" Harry was astonished. The ginger-haired vixen looked up, surprised but not ashamed.

"Hello darling," she said, "I thought you were going to go Christmas shopping today."

"I thought you were going to go visit your mother!" Harry was near tears. She was still wrapped in the strangers arms. As he turned around, Harry looked into his face in disgust, "Victor? Victor Krum? Are you serious Ginny? What the hell does this guy have that I don't?" She merely shrugged her shoulders.

"He's interesting. You _used _to be interesting. That was when you were 'The Boy Who Lived'," Harry cringed at this. He hadn't heard that phrase in so long, "It's the reason I fell in love with you I the first place. You were exciting and famous and different. You're not that boy, though. That chapter of your life is all over now. You're nothing anymore and honestly, you bore me." Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Harry took the prized ring out of his pocket. He quickly examined it, let a single tear escape, and as it rolled down the contours of his face he knelt to the freezing ground. Ginny gave him a look that said 'are you seriously that stupid?' She opened her mouth to speak and as she did so, Harry carefully set the ring on the ground. Ginny closed her mouth in astonishment; clearly this is not what she had expected. He stood up and gave her one last look that said so much. "I love you. I'll forgive you. I'll take you back. Please don't leave me." He turned around and didn't look back. Harry took two more steps and with a small _pop_ he was gone.

Back at his and Ginny's small villa everything that had belonged to her when they moved in was gone. He knew that meant that she was gone and gone for good. He couldn't bear to look at the pictures, furniture, and decorations they had gotten together and with a swish of his wand, everything was gone.

~*~

"Harry! Harry! Wake up we're late! We have to go! HARRY!" _It was only a dream. Just the same dream again and again and again. Unfortunately for me it's not a dream, it's a memory. _Harry thought as he woke up to Hermione's shrill voice in a panic because they were late for being early. "Harry!" Would her shrill tone never quiet?

"I'm coming Hermione. Would you try and relax a little? Just this once?"

"Harry, I know you've never flown in a plane or been to the airport but you should know that all airlines suggest you get to the airport two hours prior to your departure time. This way you can check in and blah blah blah blah blah…" well that's what it sounded like to Harry at least.

"Where's Ron?" Harry interrupted.

Hermione was clearly annoyed, "If you must know he's packing the car."

"He got up before I did? That's a laugh."

"Harry, Ronald is sweet and would do anything for me. And he definitely knows when we have to go! Now move it."

Harry got off the couch and went to take a shower and brush his teeth. He packed the last of his things and went outside to put his things in the car.

"Thank you so much Ron, you're such a great help," Hermione told him as she kissed him lightly on the cheek. She turned and looked at Harry she looked annoyed but slightly relieved. "There you are Harry. Finally we can leave. I'm going to go lock up the apartment. Keys," she demanded. Harry tossed them to her. As she walked by Harry turned and made a rather rude gesture in her direction.

"Harry, come on man. Was that really necessary?" Ron said as he leaned against the car.

"Hey Ron, I've got two words for you. Pussy. Whipped," and with that he threw his duffle bag to him.

"Oh I got your pussy whipped right here," Ron said as he threw Harry's bag to the ground, pulled out his wand and zapped him with an easy charm that knocked him to the ground.

"So that's how it's going to be?" Harry laughed and shot a more complicated spell at him that turned his head 360 degrees around.

Hermione then came out of the apartment door and gasped, "This is a residential area full of muggles," the boys looked up, "Have you both really lost your minds?"

"Okay, no magic then," Harry said with a smirk. He turned around and tackled Ron to the ground. They were wrestling when Hermione came up and hit them both in the head.

"Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm a babysitter for you boys. Let's go."

With that they left for the airport. The ride there was uneventful. They listened to muggle songs and didn't find them too appalling. They got to the airport and thankfully the wands passed through security without question. The plane ride was long, but soon enough they had landed in New York City.


End file.
